Electrical switch.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908. J. D. HILLIARD, JR. & O. E. PARSONS.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH. I APPLIOATIION FILED MAY 13 1905 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

{given-(0729. 0K 89. M V 3a r PATENTED MAY 12, 1908. J, D. HILLIARD, JR. & G. E. PARSONS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1905.

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= UNITED strATEs PATENTTOFFIOE.

'JQHN: n. HILLIARD, .IR.' AND CHARLES-E. PARSONS, F U'r oa, New YORK.

ELECTRICAL sw'r'rcn. 1,

5 county of Oneida and State of New York,

have invented: certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switches, of which the following is va specification, reference be- 7 ing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to switches for electric circuits, and has for its object the production of a switch by which circuits may be controlled ando ened directly which could not be so contro ed or opened with-safety in an other way, or in any way now known.

ncidental objects of the invention are to I increase the efficiency and ease of operation of switches for circuits-- conveying consider- Heretoforesome forms of circuit breakers and switches have. been designed to open Specification oi Letters Patent. Application filed lay 13, 1905. Serial No. 260,237.

Patented m 12, 1908.

bodiment, in the accompanying drawings,

wherein J l Figure l is a top plan View of a double-pole double-break switch, and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line w'w in. Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Broadly stated, and for the moment disregarding the method, which will be sufficiently disclosed in the description of apparatus, our invention comprises an outer containing vessel partially fill'ed with oil, and an inner vessel immersed therein, with one terminal inclosed in the inner vessel and communicating with outside circuits, and the other terminal lying in the outer vessel and communicating with the first terminal by a reciprocating rod which passes through an opening in the inner vessel. When the terminals are separated, the tendency is for the arc to be drawn through the opening from one vessel into the other, andlas pressure is developed in one vessel the oil is forced theretheir circuits by separating'terminals under oil or other-insulating liquid, the idea being to avoid the formation or continuance of dangerous and destructive arcs. Such Idevices are satisfactory up to' a certain point,

from at high velocity through the openin destroying the arc. One pair of termina s and the containing vessels thus referred to constitute a unit, or a single pole switch, and

T in connection with very posing the oil, the expansion o I as the arc is drawn out tending to force the- 40- oil away, and indeed to expel it from the conbutin the formsnow commercially used and with which we are familiar, there are defects 0. .Which preventthe. attainment of perfect efficiency, and particularl such attainment high potential circuits and those conveying large quantities of qen eig'gy. Upon separating the terminals of 3 5 such a switch thearc momentarily sprung 'v'vill instantly form gases, artly by volatilizing some of the metal, an partlfy by decomthese gases taini'ng Vessel unless completely inclosed. Experiment has demonstrated that if a jet of oil be projected into or across the path Qf an arc, the latter will be destroyed. Applying-this to our pur ose, according to our invention We cause t e pressure developed by the generation and expansion of gases due to the arc to act upon a confinedbody of oil so as to force a jet thereof into an opening through which the arc is drawn.

statement it will be perceived that in its broadest aspect our invention comprises a method of operation, as well as a form of ap- 'paratus by which the method may be practiced; j

' Our invention is illustrated, as to one em- From this any number of these units may be aggregated double pole and multi-break switches' In a sense, this type of oil break switch may be called an inclosed-arc with oil jet. The units may have their movement in either direction, that is, with the fixed terminal inclosed and the movable terminal passing in and out to it, as shown in Fig. 2', movable terminal inclosed and passing in and out of the bottle or inner vesselto reach thefixed terminal located outside.

ferring therefor to Figs. 1 and 2.

A is the outer inclosing case or shell, filled With oil orother suitable insulating liquid to the level marked 0. Extending into this casing from the top are four inclosed fixed terminals, corresponding to the spring jaws ,of an ordinary switch. As all of these are alike, a description of one will suffice. The top of casin A is bored and may be threaded to receive-t e-hollow insulator a,'-preferably anenlargement about midway of its length,- and below this with a shoulder. Within this bore we fit the stud or plug D of metal, havand operated simultaneously to produce We will first describe the direct form, re-

of porcelain or other refractory material. The bore of the insulator a is provided with ing a shoulder resting upon the shoulder of the insulator. The circuit conductor E with or with the I its insulation e is introduced into the upper neck '1) is secured, and preferably hermetically sealed, within the lower end of the insulator byibeing threaded to screw upon the lower end of the stud, d. This bottle consists preferabl of a body of metal, I), insulated inside an out, at b and b. In its upper part it is provided with a vent b, of comparatively. small size, and its bottom plate b has an insulating disk 6 within, and an insulating cap I) without. It is centrally perforated to receive the hollow insulator 0, whose opening c is exactly alined'with the socket d. The unit thus described is duplicated in the two sides of Fig. 2, and in each side of the double ole switch. To make and break connection'between the two sockets d and d, we provide the yoke ff, carried upon an operating rod F, and'su porting at each end an extended terminal I) and D each of a length and in proper axial position to enter the openings in an insulator, and to reach into the socket (Z or d. The rod F slides in a suitable bushing or guideway in the top of the casing A, and may be controlled and moved by any suitable mechanism, the same forming nopart of our present invention. Between t e rod and the yoke we preferably insert insulating material, as shown, to prevent accidents and short-circuit. Since in a com lete double ole switch there are two pairs 0 terminals, t ere will be four insulators a, 0/, (1 and a, two operating'rods'F and F, and two yokesff, each with its longterminals.

In Fig. 1 we have shown the rods F, F connected. by a handle h. This serves to maintain the yokes squared and the terminals in alinement, but in practice we may provlde guldes,

It w1l be. sufiiciently obvious to those skilled in this art that any automatic switch of this type should be very quick in its action; and it is of course common and well known to provide mechanical, hydraulic, and other power actuated operating means for switches of this general type; hence, it is to be understood that while the specific operating mechanism forms nodirect part of the present invention, it is contemplated herein to use what good practice requires, '5. e. a motor mechanism operating in say a part of a second, so as not to affect synchronous apparatus to throw it out of step.

The operation of this part of our invention will now be understood. When a terminal D is separated from the socket d an arc is sprun in the bottle B. Gas is thereby generate( and a high pressure instantly created.

In order to, prevent this rising so high as to 4 rupture the vessel B, either the terminal D" fits loosel in the channel 0, or as shown it is" made hol ow or tubular, the pressure being relieved by a rush of oil through this tube. As' the terminal is withdrawh through the o ening c. the jet of oil continues theret rough with a high velocity, and as a consequence the arc is destroyed.

Although we have described the simplest and -most specific way in which to accomplish a desired result we wish it clearly un derstood that many modifications and changes may be resorted to or effected in practice Without de arting from the spirit of our invention. All such chan es are contemplated by us and are consi ered to be Within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

After the switch is operated in the manner described, the oil level inside the bottle B is lowered, while the oil level in the main casing A is raised. The principal function of the vent b is to permit the oil to resume its normal level in both vessels by equalizing the pressures in the spaces above the oil. In other words, the-vent b may be calleda bleedin vent, permittin the gradual escape o gases from the bott e B so the oil can reenter through the channel 0. It should be understood, however, that the opening I) is so small that it will not vent sufficiently under the high pressures and with the large volumes of gas generated when the arc is sprung, to injurlously reduce the pressure t 'ereby created upon the surface of t 1e oilinthe bottleB. 1

In accordance with standard ractice, we usually make the outer casing X of iron or steel, and the bottles B are produced in the same manner and of substantially the same grade of steel as the tanks employed. to hold compressed gases, especially carbonic acid. gas. tles B when breaking considerable energy are'enormous; and in order to safely with- The pressures generated in these bot stand thesepressures the bottles are tested in advance for even higher pressures in order that there may be a suitable factor of safety. A point of considerable importance in our structure is the unitar and integral character of the bottle B. n previous structures oil pots have been formed with baffle-plates or with disks or cylinders connected across or weakness; and in the third place, any elec I tricalcontact or any whi ping of thearc inside of the inclosed cham er is directly comobjectionable for several municated to the outer casing with great bottles B as heavy pressure resisting integraland unitary structures, connecting them tightly with their fixed terminals so that the same are sealed therein, insulating their walls and particularly insulating the parts con-- tiguous to the arc, so that it is absolutely confined at every step in the operation of the switch to the spaces between the terminals, we insure efficlency, prevent all danger to the o erator, and at the same time prolong the li e of the. switch indefinit'ely.

Itwill be apparent after readlng the foregoing that the casing A is not really an essential art of the switch, its functions being pure y subsidiary and confined mainly to holding the oil supply for the explosion bottles or pressure chambers.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. An electrical switch comprising in combination an outer receptacle containing fluid insulating material, an inner receptacle formed of material adapted to resist high pressure due to confined arc gases and projecting into said fluid, a fixed terminal within said inner receptacle, a cooperating terminal without said receptacle, an opening bushed with insulation in the inner receptacle permitting circulation of the insulating fluid, and means to connect and separate said terminals through said bushed opening.

2. An electrical switch com rising in com- 'bination an outer and aninner uid receptacle, the inner receptacle being of metal with its surface insulated, an insulating su port therefor, a contact terminal mounted t ere in, with outside circuit connections, an opening in said inner receptacle, a contact device adapted to pass from the outer vessel through said opening to the inclosed terminal in making the circuit, and the reverse -in breaking the circuit, and an equalizing vent in the inner vessel.

3*. '.An electrical switch comprising in combination an outer and an inner fluid receptacle, said inner receptacle having its surface insulated and being carried upon an insulated support, a contact terminal within said inner receptacle and outside circuit connections therefor, an opening in said inner receptacle, a hollow contact device adapted to pass from the outer receptacle through said -0 ening to the inclosed terminal in making t ev circuit and the reverse in breaking the circuit, and an'equalizing vent in the inner receptacle.

4. In an electrical switch, the cornbinae5 tion'with an oil pot partially filled with 1011,

of a second connected oil pot also partially filled with oil and constructed so as to form a pressure retaining vessel forsaid oil, se arable contacts arranged to break under tl e oil in the second pot, and insulating means carried by said second pot for conducting the ,oil when put under pressure by the arc gases against the arc so as to extinguish it.

5. In an electrical switch, the combination with an oil pot partially filled with oil, ofa second pot also partially filled with oil, located within the first mentioned pot and shaped to form a pressure retaining vessel, a stationary contact mounted within said second pot, a movable contact'adapted to engage said stationary contact 'for making and breaking the circuit, and an insulator carried by the second pot for conducting the oil put under pressure by the arc gases upon breaking the contact, against the arc soas to extinguish it.

6, In an electncal switch, the combination with an oil pot partially filled with oil, of a second-oil pot located therein forming a pressure retaining pot, an aperture in said second pot below the oil level and a r'elativel small vent above it, whereby-the normal 011 level is kept the same in both pots, a stationary contact in one of said oil ots, a movable contact adapted to pass t rough said aperture to and from the stationary contact in making and breaking the circuit, and insulating means in the aperture for conducting the oil put under pressure by the arc gases against the arc so as to extinguish it.

7 In an electrical switch, the combination of an outer vessel and an inner vessel both partially filled with oil, a stationary contact 1n one of said vessels, a movable contact adapted to pass from the other vessel into en gagement with the stationary contact in making the circuit and the reverse in breaking the circuit, and an insulator through which the movable contact passes, adapted to direct the oil put under pressure b the arc gases against the arc to extinguish 1t.

8. An electrical switch comprising two oil vessels,- one locatedinteriorly of and communicatin With the other, oil partially filling both vesse s, separable contacts arranged to break in the inner vessel so that pressure will be generated therein by the arc, and insulatin means adapted to'confine the arc and simu taneously to direct the oil put under pressure against the arc to extinguish it.

. 9. An electrical switch comprising two oil vessels, one within the other, oil partially filloil put under pressure by the are gases into the pathof said movable contact as it is withdrawn from the inner vessel'so as to extinguish the arc.

10. In an oil break switch for high potential circuits, an outer containing vessel partially filled with oil, a metallic pressure resistin inner vessel projecting into said oil and a so partially filled therewith, said inner vessel being sup orted on but insulated from the outer vesse having its walls covered with insulating material, and havin an opening in its bottom fitted with an insu ated bushing, a fixed terminal seated within the inner Vessel and a movable terminal adapted to ass from the outer vessel through the bus ed opening into the inner vessel to engage said fixed terminal, whereby u on withdrawal of said movable terminal an the consequent formation of an are within the inner vessel, said are will be confined to the space between the terminals, and when the movable terminal passes the bushing the are will i be extinguished by the rush of oil therefrom.

11. In an oil switch, the combination of I inner and outer oil pots, the inner ot forming a pressure retainmg vessel and aving its walls covered with insulation as well as being insulated from the outer pot, an openin r through one wall of said inner pot provide with an insulating bushing, a fixed terminal mounted within the inner 0t, and a cooperating movable terminal a apted to pass in and out of the inner pot through the insulating bushing.

I 12. In an oil break switch, an outer oil pot, an inner metal oil pot adapted to, resist high pressure, oil in both pets, at fixed terminal seated in the inner pot, a movable terminal passing through an o ening into the inner pot to enga e the fixer. terminal, and means insulating the movable terminal in all operating positions from the inner pot, said means acting to confine the are formed upon separation of the terminals to the space between them. a

13. In an oil breakswitelna vessel containing oil, a se arateinclosed and superficially insulate pressure retainin vessel located therein, with a passageway a so insulated, and contacts adapted to engage within said insulated vessel and to be separated through said passageway, one of said contacts b'ein permanently secured to and inclosed within said insulated vessel.

14. In an electrical switch, an'outer vessel,

a separate unitary ressure-retaimng inner vessel supported in ut insulated from the outer vessel, both of said vessels containing insulating fluid, and a pair of electrodes adapted to makeand break contact in said inner vessel, oneof said electrodes permanently inclosed therein and the other adapted to pass-into and out of the same.

15. In an oil break switch, an outer oil means mechanically supportin vessel, a fixed circuit terminal extending into but insulated from said outer vessel, an inner pressure-retaining vessel inclosing the end 'of said terminal and supported thereon,

' oil partially filling both of said vessels, and a movable terminal adapted to make and break connection with the fixed terminal within said inner vessel.

16. In an electrical switch, an outer inclosing vessel, a fixed circuit terminal extending into the vessel, an insulator engaging said. vessel and supporting the terminal thereon, an inner inclosing vessel supported on the terminal, and a movable terminal lying in the outer vessel when the switch is open, but adapted to be moved into the inner vessel to make and break contact therein with the fixed terminal.

17. In an oil switch, an outer oil vessel, a plurality of fixed terminals passing through the top of said oil vessel and supported thereon by means of insulators, an inner independent pressure-retaining vessel for each terminal sup orted on its terminal, a movable terminal evice cooperatim with the fixed terminals, and oil in both OI said vesesls.

18. An electrical switch comprisin sepafiuid, an immovable containing insulatin Focated therein adapted sup lemental vessel 'to inclose the are formed upon breaking the with said supplemental vessel to insulate and restrict the are.

19. In. an oil switch, an outer oil vessel, a body of oil therein, an independent, integral, unitary supplemental oil pot extending into said body of oil, separable terminals arranged to break inside said supplemental ot, and

g sau supplemental pot in the oil ut maintammg the same electrically insulated from the main pot or casing.

20." In an oil switch, an outer vessel, a body of oil therein, an independent, ntegral, unitary supplemental pot extend ng into said oil and forming a pressure retalmng vessel therefor, with a pair of separable contacts arranged to break within said chamber.

- 21.' In an electrical switch,'an oil pot or.

reservoir, a body of oil therein, an independ ent, integral, unitary vessel or pet communicating with said reservoir to rece1v e o1l therefrom and formin a pressure retainmg vessel for the oil, with a pair of se arable contacts arranged to break Within said pres- 'sure vessel, and means to conduct he oil when ut under pressure by the are formed upon guish 1t. i I

22. An electrical switch'unit composed of 'rable contacts, a closed receptacle therefor reaking against the same to extina'pair of elements, each comprising a fixed contact terminal, a metal pressure bottle at:

tached to and inclosing said terminal, and a a movable contact terminal, said bottle having its Walls and bottom superficially insulated and an openin in the latter lined with in- 1 sulation; toget er with 0 crating means for the unit comprising a yo e connecting the two movable contacts both electrically and mechanically, and means to move said yoke so as to insert the movable contacts through the insulated openings into the ressure bottles in making, and to entirely Withdraw the contacts from the bottles in breaking, whereby the arcs then formed are drawn out through the respective insulators and eX-- posed to blasts therefrom due to the arecreated pressures in the bottles.

23. An electrical switch comprising the followinginstrumentalities: an insulated metal p'ot'constructed so as to restrict high pressures due to an electric are, a fixed contact seated inside the-upper part of said pot, an insulated opening in the lower part of said pot, means for malntaining oil in the pot with an air ,or gas space above the oil level,

a movable contact adapted to ass into and out of the potthrough said insu ated opening and through the oil in making and breaking the circuit, and means for actuating said movable contact whereby the are formed upon breaking will roduce a high ressure in the pot, which wi 1 be cushioned y compression of the air or gas therein until the moving contact has passed out of-the opening, and will then cause a jet of oil through said o ipmng in the path of the arc to extinguis 24. In an electrical switch; a contact element comprising of the following instrumentalitiesza fixed terminal stud-with a circuit lead directly connected therewith, an insulator surrounding and supporting said stud by means of e'nga ing shoulders, plastic insulating material filing the insulator around the stud and its joint with the lead, a drawn steel bottle having its neck tightly fitted and solidly secured to the stud, Insulation covering the inside of said bottle, an opening in the bottom thereof, an insulating bushing therein, and .a movable contact rod adapted to be passed into and out of said bottle through said bushing to engage and disengage said terminal stud.

25. An electric switch comprising an oil pot containing oil, se arable contacts both insulated from the oi pot and arranged to break under oil, and a pressure retaining vessel surrounding said contacts, -said vessel having in one wall an opening lined with insulation to confine the arc and simultaneously to direct the oil put under pressure by the arc against the arc to extinguish it.

26. An electric switch comprising a casing containing oil, a pressure retaining vessel therein, one wall of said vessel being provided with an aperture, .a stationary contact located in said vessel and a tubular contact movable through said aperture to cooperate with the stationary contact.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN D. HILLIARD, JR. CHARLES E. PARSONS. 

